Caregiver social networks and discontinued support during COVID-19: a multilevel dyadic analysis.

Objectives Family caregivers provide essential support to older adults, but their extended caregiving networks can be strained during crises. This study examines which characteristics of caregivers' personal networks were associated with discontinued support during the early stage of the COVID-19 pa...

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Publicado en:Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences Vol. 81; no. 8; pp. 1 - 11
Autores principales: Kennedy, David P, Friedman, Esther M, Murphy, James P, Kirkegaard, Allison, Edgington, Sarah, Golinelli, Daniela, Shih, Regina
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Oxford University Press / USA Aug2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Caregiver social networks and discontinued support during COVID-19: a multilevel dyadic analysis.
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          Kennedy, David P
          Friedman, Esther M
          Murphy, James P
          Kirkegaard, Allison
          Edgington, Sarah
          Golinelli, Daniela
          Shih, Regina
        affil:
          Independent Researcher, Los Angeles, California, United StatesRAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, United States
          Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
          RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, United States
          RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, United StatesInstitute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
          RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, United StatesCenter for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
          RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, United StatesRollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
      su:
        United States
        Cross-sectional method
        Hispanic Americans
        Social factors
        Family relations
        Family attitudes
        Race
        Social networks
        Psychology of caregivers
        Social support
        COVID-19 pandemic
        Research funding
        Multiple regression analysis
        COVID-19 vaccines
        Descriptive statistics
        Longitudinal method
        Pre-tests & post-tests
        Odds ratio
        Confidence intervals
        Data analysis software
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          Cross-sectional method
          Hispanic Americans
          Social factors
          Family relations
          Family attitudes
          Race
          Social networks
          Psychology of caregivers
          Social support
          COVID-19 pandemic
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          Research funding
          Multiple regression analysis
          COVID-19 vaccines
          Descriptive statistics
          Longitudinal method
          Pre-tests & post-tests
          Odds ratio
          Confidence intervals
          Data analysis software
      keyword:
        aged
        caregivers
        Caregiving
        copyrightHolder:The Gerontological Society of America
        copyrightYear:2026
        covid-19
        Egocentric networks
        hispanics or latinos
        https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbag099
        inLanguage:en
        Multilevel modeling
        publisher:Oxford University Press
        sameAs:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42261269/
        Social capital
        aged
        caregivers
        Caregiving
        copyrightHolder:The Gerontological Society of America
        copyrightYear:2026
        covid-19
        Egocentric networks
        hispanics or latinos
        https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbag099
        inLanguage:en
        Multilevel modeling
        publisher:Oxford University Press
        sameAs:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42261269/
        Social capital
      ab: Objectives Family caregivers provide essential support to older adults, but their extended caregiving networks can be strained during crises. This study examines which characteristics of caregivers' personal networks were associated with discontinued support during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period of widespread social disruption. Methods We analyzed data from the Care Network Connections over Time study, a longitudinal, nationally representative study of U.S. caregivers. Respondents (N  = 2,116) reported on support before and during COVID-19. Multilevel logistic regression models assessed associations between discontinued support and network/caregiver characteristics while controlling for clustering within networks. Results Support loss occurred among 5.84% of previously supportive network members. Discontinued support was significantly more likely when alters were Hispanic or of "other/multiple" race/ethnicity, aged <18 or >64, or were distant relatives or nonrelatives. Highly connected alters and those providing support to care recipients were less likely to have withdrawn support. At the network level, caregivers with low density, more diverse, or low care-recipient-supporting networks were more vulnerable to support discontinuation. Discussion Results demonstrate how caregiver network composition and connectivity shape social resilience under stress. Caregiving networks that have higher "bonding" social capital—densely interconnected and including close relatives and others who provide support to both caregivers and care recipients—may be more resilient due to strong support coordination and communication. Study insights can inform the development of support intervention strategies for caregivers. Findings suggest that promoting bonding capital in caregiver networks may help protect against the loss of critical support during crises.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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